Marketing Made Easier

Month: March 2015

Blogging is an important part of many overall online marketing campaigns. It’s a way to keep online users entertained, engaged and coming back to the site. It’s also a great way to prove to the search engines that you’re an authority in your particular niche. However, after a while, it can be hard to come up with new blog topics. If you’re in an industry where things don’t really change that often – i.e. any industry not dominated by fashion or seasonality – you or your writers could have a tough time thinking of things to write about. The good news is, there are plenty of free tools and quick tricks you can use to spark your inspiration, including:

Google TrendsTo find out what people really want to read about, visit google.co.nz/trends/. Then use the search bar at the top of the page and enter in your product or service. You’ll get a list of hot searches or popular topics related to your product or service by the help of google adwords at http://www.resultsfirst.co.nz/google-adwords/. For example, a quick search for ‘formal dresses’ shows us people are interested in films about the prom. A client selling formalwear could write a blog about prom/ball films. Or, a search for ‘wine’ shows us people are interested in the art of making fancy wine glasses. A winemaker could write a blog about high-end stemware and how it affects the wine drinking experience.

NewsThe absolute easiest way to generate fresh and interesting content is to provide a response or commentary on a current news item that’s related to your industry. Use a news collating site such as Google News or your favourite newspaper’s site to search for your product or service. For example, a quick search for ‘wedding cake’ turns up stories about crazy record-breaking wedding cakes, as well as controversial items on marriage equality. You can write a blog detailing your thoughts, feelings or opinions on news items.

Tangentially related topicsNot all your blogs have to be about exactly what you do or sell. They can be about other closely related topics that people reading your blog are likely to be interested in. For example if you run a gym, there are only so many blogs you’ll be able to write about different types of machines, or why certain styles of workouts are good for you. However, you can always create new healthy eating recipes and food tips your clients can follow for good results. Although it’s best to test and refine the recipes yourself – this way you can also take photos – you can always reproduce a recipe (with the permission of the original author, if necessary).

These days, everyone has a ‘great’ app idea – however, not every idea is destined to make money.

A great app idea needs to serve a purpose. It should provide entertainment, solve a problem or generally make life easier for the user. For those looking to create an app, there are ten basic steps when it comes to creating one that is successful.

1. Understand the market. It’s the same in any business – you need to understand your competitors, what works and what doesn’t. When it comes to apps, The App Store (Apple) and Google Play (Android) are the main places where people purchase apps – so this is where your research should begin.2. Emulate successful apps. Take a look at the charts. The top ranking apps will give you an idea of what’s popular – and while you’re not going to copy them, it certainly pays to ‘take a leaf out of their book’. Many of the best apps are quite similar (for example, a lot of games).3. Plan your app. What does it do? How will it look? How will it function? These are all questions you need to find answers for. It takes time to turn a fleeting idea into a solid app proposal; you need to do your research.4. Decide on an operating system. You need to decide which operating system you will target – or whether you want to target more than one. Most people target Android and iOS, as they account for the majority of the market share and therefore you have a much larger target audience. However, Windows and BlackBerry apps can be lucrative if you target the right niche and have a great idea.5. Find a developer. If you’re looking for an Android app developer or someone who specialists in application development, you won’t have any issues finding an agency that can help. These are the most common operating systems, and virtually every agency will have a programmer who works across them. You can also register as a developer yourself (it just means you are the one who will be publishing the app) and hire a freelance programmer to take care of the technical aspects – a cost-effective option if you have the time.6. Work out the details. If you’re going through an agency, you need to be very clear with regards to who owns the app. Some agencies expect to take over some of the rights, whilst others will purely develop an app on your behalf. Be clear on this before work begins, and make sure the necessary contracts are signed. If you are a hiring a programmer yourself, make sure they sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement before starting.7. Make sure you’ve made the right choice. If you’re going with an agency, check their past work and ask for the contact details of past clients – make sure their apps are of a good quality, and make sure that they actually are their apps. If you’re hiring a programmer, start off slow. Give them a few smaller tasks to begin with (such as icon development) to determine their ability level – of you’re not happy, get out early before any serious work is done.8. Test your app. A successful app needs to be free from any bugs or other issues – otherwise it won’t sell. Furthermore, many app stores (such as Apple’s App Store) won’t publish sub-par apps – they’ll simply reject them.9. Publish your app. Once the testing phase is complete, it’s time to send your app to an app store. Whether you choose Google Play or The App Store, make sure your app is in line with their standards, or you risk having it rejected. 10. Market your app. Like any business, marketing is essential. If you don’t invest in a solid marketing strategy, you can’t expect people to ‘discover’ your app in such a crowded marketplace. It can happen, but it’s unlikely. A good agency will be able to market your app for you – otherwise you’ll need to do some research and determine how best to go about it yourself.

Conclusion

Creating best & cheap Android app development can be very lucrative – but it’s no mean feat. Currently, the app market is flooded, and therefore it’s only the best apps (such as Angry Birds) that make their creators a lot of money. While there’s no guarantee in business, by following these ten steps it’s certainly possible to enjoy success!